PCT SOBO DAY 107 – Burned trees and buses

Day 107

Start: Walker Pass Campground, mile 2003.3

End: Dove Spring Canyon Road, mile 2032.7

Miles driven: 29.4 miles

I woke up again before dawn for an early start on another nearly 30 mile day. It was cold and windy! Our wonderful hosts had the propane fire going this morning, but the wind kept blowing away the heat. After a wonderful breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and a bagel with cream cheese, I packed my things and hit the trail. It was another lazy day!

I started the hike just as the sun was appearing over the mountain, which helped me warm up quickly. I was definitely in the desert now! The trail was sandy and everything seemed pretty dry. Yet the beauty of the desert shone in the morning sun, yellow wildflowers vibrating among the bushes.

I had a series of gradual climbs in the morning that took me to flatter terrain with views of the surrounding valley. There were more people today because it was Sunday. A man and his son drove over the bumpy roads in an all-terrain vehicle and offered me water before setting off on their adventure.

I went up and then went back down. Joshua Trees greeted me on the other side of the long, winding descent that, once again, seemed to last forever. The trail crew loves the curves in this section.

At the bottom there was a huge water tank that was more than enough for the hikers. Thanks to the trail angels who maintain this cache! It was definitely necessary in such a dry section. I ran into one of the other hikers in my group named T-Rex who decided to run this part of the trail. Yes, run. All he had with him was a bottle of water and a couple of granola bars. He was taking a long break, but he soon passed me and ran up the next hill. He was a tough hiker!

I soon found myself on what looked like the set of a Hollywood western movie. The rock formations looked perfect. I even saw the remains of a burnt bus, although I’m not sure what happened or how it got there.

Soon, I found myself among burned and blackened Joshua trees, alone on the bare mountainside. Some of them had new green shoots, showing hope for the future. Before I knew it, I could see the vans in the distance.

As the desert sun set, we got closer and closer and huddled around the propane fire once again. Dinner tonight was delicious chicken and bean burritos. Some people even celebrated the end of the day with a hot chocolate with rum. Another wonderful day in the books.

And that’s a day in the life of a PCT SOBO hiker!

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